Converting
Bags
With one of the largest bag departments on the West Coast,
Emerald Packaging offers customers a variety of bag shapes and
sizes, zippers and closure options. Our 28 bag lines including
20 side seal wicketers and four two-lane side seal flat-belt machines, can
create bags from three to 30 inches wide with zipper and hermetic
closures. Additional features like tapering, gusseting, hot needle
perforation, wicketless hot needle packs and slider zippers are also
available. We are also one of the nation’s leaders in the application
of Instant Redeemable Coupons and traceability labels to packaging.
While many converters struggle to hit exact dimensions for lip size,
tears and wicket hole alignment, we use Hudson-Sharp WASP wicketers
equipped with computerized centering edge guides to deliver near-perfect
wicket packs.
Roll stock
We have four high-performance 70" wide taper tension controlled slitters
for roll stock. Two are outfitted with register capable laser microperforation which we use
extensively for controlling the atmosphere in fresh product packaging. We also have two
slitters featuring hot needle perforation units which facilitate air flow in high respiring products like spinach
and spring mix.
Lamination
Emerald Packaging has a 61" wide Comexi laminator capable of both solventless
and dry bond lamination. The unit offers the most modern tension
and adhesive metering controls, ensuring high product integrity. The unit can also be used to
apply reverse coated anti-fog to preserve package clarity. We specialize in laminations for fresh produce,
dried fruit and nuts and confections. We often marry our laminated structures with other Emerald
capabilities, such as laser microperforation and Inno-Lok zippers. We are an industry leader in packaging
for sliced apples, which utilizes our laser microperforation system to produce a controlled-atmosphere package.
Laser Microperforation
Our two Preco Laser Microperforation systems allow customers to actively control the atmosphere inside a
package, allowing the correct amount of oxygen into the package while permitting the correct amount of carbon dioxide
to escape, establishing an optimal O2/Co2 ratio to extend product shelf-life. We work closely with food scientists
to specify the correct laser pattern for your product.
Our company has invested considerable time and capital to ensure the quality of our laser perforated holes. Our
system features in-line process monitoring that verifies that the lasers are firing, and warns operators when misfires occur.
Operators have meters to check air flow and microscopes next to their machines to check for holes. Our Quality Control Department
also checks holes using a high-powered microscope that takes pictures of the holes and measures them to make sure we are
operating within specified limits to deliver promised air flow.
More recently, we've used our lasers to move into microwave packaging. We can use laser holes to allow a product to steam and
we can create a small vent on one layer of a lamination that causes the bag to open slightly and release steam during the microwave process.
Hot Needle Perforation
This older technology creates large holes in a package for product that needs higher respiration than laser
perforation can provide. It finds its main use in crusty bread, spinach and spring mix packaging where high breathability is required.
Stand-Up Pouch
Like many flexible packaging companies, we partner with contract manufacturers to produce laminated stand-up pouches. Emerald Packaging prints
and laminates the package and then turns it over to a pouch-maker who produces pre-made pouches. These partnerships allow our company
to offer a broad line of stand-up pouches, including traditional and slider zipper closures, spouts and quad-seals. We work closely with you and our
suppliers to deliver the product that best suits your needs, rather than selling you one that conforms to our machinery.
Inno-Lok
Emerald Packaging uses a Hudson Sharp Inno-Lok zipper machine to insert a pre-applied zipper into roll stock, allowing customers to incorporate
zippers into their products without investing in the equipment to do so themselves. We offer both traditional front panel Inno-Lok and bag top
Inno-Lok which allows customers to access product as they normally would, by opening the top of the package.